ABC2 extends programming for pre-school kids…
Thursday night saw the launch of the ABC’s dedicated children’s channel ABC3 which will cater for children between the ages of 6 and 15. A small mention was made about the slight restructure of ABC2 come the same date as the ABC3 switch being thrown on December 4, with ABC2 focussing on pre-school children.
Under the title of ABC For Kids On 2, ABC2 will extend its existing programming for children beginning at 9am weekdays till 6pm. This commitment to pre-schoolers will continue on the weekends with additional programming from 6am to 6pm on both Saturday and Sunday.
ABC’s Director of Television Kim Dalton says, “ABC TV provides some of the best children’s television in the world – and this is reflected by our position as the number one channel for pre-schoolers in Australia. When we launched pre-school content on ABC2 last year, the response was immediate and definite. Parents and carers made it clear they wanted more commercial-free programming for young children that had an Australian voice. That dedicated programming will now be available all day, every day on ABC2.”
Some of the programming titles to be carried on ABC2 are listed below, with these changes coinciding in-line with the launch of ABC3 on December 4.
Wiggly Waffle
Screens Monday to Friday, 10-11am, ABC2
Join Anthony, Murray, Sam and Jeff as they present a special hour of singing, dancing, music and games, intermixed with classic series and animations, including Baby Antonio’s Circus, Postman Pat and Franny’s Feet.
Giggle
Screens Monday to Friday, 1.30-3pm on ABC2
Screens Monday to Friday, 8-9.30am on ABC1
A brand new hosted block, Giggle is a magical place where ABC for Kids friends come together to celebrate life, learning and laughter. It might be creating a beautiful piece of art like Mister Maker, meeting a special guest from Play School, learning one of the new dances from dirtgirlworld or sharing the achievements of children from across the country. Each day is a surprise and each moment a treasure.
Hoot
Screens daily 5-6pm, ABC2
The final hour of the ABC for Kids block is a specially hosted show to help young children wind down, with a gentle end to their day. As the sun goes down and the stars come out, all our friends in Hoot snuggle up to watch their favourite shows and hear some bedtime stories. Interspersed with some relaxing programming like In the Night Garden, The Wot Wots, Timmy Time and Frog & Friends, Hoot takes children through the bedtime routine of putting on pyjamas, brushing teeth, reading a bedtime story and singing a lullaby before lights out.
dirtgirlworld (AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE)
52-part, 11-minute animation series
Screens daily 11.45am, ABC2
Screens weekdays 3.45pm, ABC1
dirtgirlworld is a celebration of life outside. The music-centric series is a distinctive blend of animation, photomontage and illustration that takes children to a world where the real and unreal collide. Explore the natural world and ‘get grubby’ with dirtgirl, a gumboot-wearing girl who grows awesome tomatoes, knows cloud names and drives a big orange tractor. dirtgirl’s backyard is full of friends. There’s Scrap Boy, her best friend who’s a whiz with junk. There’s Grubby with her worm’s eye view, Ken the Weevil, Roger the Rooster and the Chicks, Hayman the monosyllabic scarecrow, and the Green Thumbs – real kids in real gardens having fun. A co-production between mememe productions Australia and Decode Entertainment. Commissioned by ABC TV, CBeebies and CBC.
Play School
Screens weekdays, 4.30pm ABC2, weekdays 3.05pm ABC1
Play School aims to encourage children to wonder, to think, to feel and to imagine. Each week the two hosts take a theme and explore it in many different ways – through books, songs, stories, art and other play ideas. Featuring regular segments Through the Window, the Calendar and the Clock, along with Big and Little Ted, Humpty, Jemima and many more toy characters, Play School has been entertaining children for over 40 years. It is supported with its own website featuring additional activities, craft projects and ideas that tie in to the weekly themes
Bananas in Pyjamas (WORLD PREMIERE)
104-part 11-minute CGI Premieres 2010 on ABC2 and ABC1
The Bananas in Pyjamas get a makeover in this brand new CGI series. Join the Bananas, Teddies, Rat and their friends in a whole new world of fun and adventures. A co-production between ABC TV, Southern Star and ABC Commercial.
Waybuloo (AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE)
50-part, 20-minute animation series
Screens daily 11am ABC2
Screens weekdays 9am from Monday 21 December, ABC1
Welcome to the world of Nara, a land of happiness, laughter and friendship that’s home to the Piplings. The four Piplings are happy, loving and caring creatures that are inquisitive and playful. When Piplings experience pure happiness they achieve Buloo and rise gently into the air. The Piplings practise Yogo, a gentle form of exercise which is similar to yoga, and the movements are often inspired by things that the Piplings see in Nara like birds, trees and narabugs. Waybuloo blends together the magic of computer-generated animation with live action footage of children in the vast world of Nara. An RDF Kids production.
Fun with Claude (AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE)
52-part, 10-minute animation series
Screens weekdays, 1.40pm ABC2
Screens weekdays, 8.10am, ABC
Based on the books by award-winning illustrator David Wojtowycz, this beautiful series follows the adventures of a cute, cuddly and inquisitive three-year-old polar bear. Claude and his family have left their icy Arctic home in Snowington and moved somewhere that’s quite the opposite – the sunny and bustling town of Bearhampton. With the help of his new friend and next door neighbour Boris, Claude takes little ‘paw steps’ into understanding and discovering the wonderful world around him. A co-production by Red and Blue Productions, ZDF, ZDF Enterprises and Disney Channel UK.
Angelina Ballerina Series-3 (AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE)
40-part, 15-minute CGI animation series
Screens weekdays 1.30pm, ABC2, Screens weekdays 8am, ABC1
Angelina Ballerina: The Next Steps follows the now eight-year-old Angelina, as she puts her best toe forward and embarks on the next stage in her life. Angelina enrols at Camembert Academy, a school for the performing arts where she meets new friends and experiences an exciting world of dance, music and performance. A HIT Entertainment production.
Fifi and the Flowertots Series-3 (ABC PREMIERE)
13-part, eleven-minute animation
Screens daily 9am, ABC2. To screen on ABC1
Fifi follows an inquisitive young flower girl and her friends as they go on adventures in Flowertot garden. Fifi is always forgetting things, which sometimes leads her into mischief. Through her adventures, youngsters can learn to live a healthy life and also become more aware of their environment. Produced by Chapman Entertainment.
Toby’s Toy Circus (AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE)
52-part, 10-minute animation series ABC2 and ABC1
Toby, a seven-year-old boy, has wonderful adventures with his favourite toys, which begin when his carousel clock starts to chime at bedtime. The toys spring to life and take Toby into the magical world of his toy circus. A Target Entertainment production.
Mouk’s World Tour (AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE)
62-part, 11-minute animation series ABC2 and ABC1
Mouk is a seven-year-old bear; he is naturally inquisitive and dreams of exotic adventures around the world. Popo and Chavapa are Mouk’s best friends, and have been forever: they make an engaging trio. Mouk travels the world on his ‘pedal powered solar plane’ which has a small baggage rack that is just big enough to carry either his friend Popo or Chavapa. A Milimages production.
The Octonauts (AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE)
52-part, 10-minute animation series ABC2 and ABC1
The Octonauts are an intrepid band of explorers who roam the oceans in search of adventure and fun. Led by a valiant polar bear and a daredevil kitten, these eight talented critters are always ready to embark on an exciting new mission. From the producers of Olivia and Mr Men, The Octonauts is a Brown Bag Films production.
The Jungle Book (AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE)
52-part eleven-minute animation series
Premieres 2010, ABC3, ABC2 and ABC1
Based on the classic adventure story by Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book comes to life for the first time in a CGI television series. Follow the various escapades of Mowgli and his jungle friends in this amazingly funny and fascinating series for young and old alike. A DQ Entertainment production.
Filed Under: ABC2
